Swiftpaw

Lichenclan

Runty tuxedo she-cat with amber eyes

Swiftpaw was graced with a toned, petite frame and a stature sported by many Lichenclan cats who reflect the agile, slim grace needed for a life spent explore caves and swimming in caverns. She is noticeably smaller than her brother who is larger than her in every way. Her feet are tiny with frail and delicate claws tucked into their sheaths and her legs are short and compact. Small round ears that swivel constantly frame the top of her square shaped head and her round amber eyes watch the world in wide-eyed wonder.

Swiftpaw’s pelt is short in length and very slick already despite the kitten fluff holding onto parts of her frame, particularly her face, chest, and tail. Though her fur seems designed for swimming, she hesitates at the thought of taking a dive in the treacherous waters surrounding Lichenclan's territory, especially considering the most recent flooding. Her pelt is mostly black in color with some traditional tuxedo white spotting that starts at the base of her forehead and descends down across her jaw, over her throat, and throughout her stomach fur. Her nose and chin have a splash of black fur across them, giving her a curious or concerned expression most of the time.

+ empathetic | encouraging | gentle +
- cowardly | meek | uninspired -

Swiftpaw is a very kind, considerate kit who is more in tune with her feelings and the emotions of others than most. Her empathetic tendencies derive from her need to make others feel happy or at the very least; listened to. With a natural knack for caregiving, she is gentle with everyone around her and finds delight in simple things like flowers and fluffy clouds while also shying away from the scary nature of war and brutality.

Those with stronger personalities have found Swiftpaw easy to walk all over as she doesn't have a reputation for standing up for herself or fighting back. Her meek and cowardly demeaner make her a walking target for those more abrasive and tough though she would rather convince herself she's not being picked on instead of admit she has bullies. She is more likely to turn tail and run at the sign of trouble rather than stand and fight despite her mothers best efforts at making Swiftpaw strong.

She craves a simple, soft life within the walls of Lichenclan's camp and doesn't wish to aspire for the glory of war or recognition like Rootclaw has achieved or her brother may go in search for. Swiftpaw is more than happy to watch on the sidelines and cheer others on, wishing the best of luck in their endeavors while being content with whatever happiness she can find within her own life.

Swiftkit was born beside Clawkit to an unexpected pairing of Rootclaw and Stormfoot. With her mothers more abrasive personality, many expect both her kits to grow up as similar personas however Swiftkit gravitated towards her fathers more gentle spoken ways and story telling abilities. From her understanding, she was named after her aunt that died in battle though she tries not to bring it up much to her father after seeing how sad it made him the one time she asked about it. Growing up in a post war era, Swiftkit sensed the underlying tension is most Lichenclan cats as they worked to rebuild a society that crumbled under the last leader.

During the flooding and relocation, Swiftkit became terrified of water as she struggled to watch her family and clan survive in a land not their own. As her mother pitted the kits against one another, Swiftkit never won against her much larger and more determined brother. She was always confused as to why Rootclaw would be upset by this fact and tried harder to make the queen proud though her efforts weren’t very successful.

Now an apprentice and back in Lichenclan’s homeland, Swiftpaw was assigned Sorrelsong as a mentor. She hopes to prove herself to at least her mentor and find some kind of inner strength to show the world.